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Saturday, March 22, 2008

A much-publicized report released by the Pentagon last week details the extensive ties between the regime of Saddam Hussein and a wide variety of international terrorist organizations, including Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida.

“Despite their incompatible long-term goals, many terrorist movements and Saddam found a common enemy in the United States,” the report’s authors at the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) state.

But instead of reporting on this conclusion, most of the media accounts have focused on a single sentence that appears in the executive summary, stating that the report’s authors found “no smoking gun” or “direct connection” between Saddam’s Iraq and al-Qaida. The United States Joint Forces Command, which commissioned the report from IDA, provided reporters late last week with a CD containing nearly 2,000 pages of supporting documents that purportedly formed the basis of the conclusions authored by Lt. Col. Kevin Woods and James Lacey in the 94-page redacted summary that initially was leaked to the press.

Intriguing Analysis

An analysis by Newsmax identified several documents with critical evidence of Saddam’s close ties to al-Qaida that were overlooked or ignored by the report’s authors, however.

These documents, published previously by the Foreign Military Studies Office of the Joint Reserve Intelligence Center, Fort Leavenworth, have since been taken down from U.S. government Web sites. Newsmax downloaded copies when they were still available.

“This is not a comprehensive, end-all, all-in-one study,” a source familiar with the drafting of the report told Newsmax. He spoke on background because his comments had not been cleared in advance by the U.S. military.

“This was a study very specifically for military lessons learned, to explain an environment. People shouldn’t make this report into something it’s not,” he added.

Another source involved in the report told Newsmax that one reason some documents were not included in the analysis was because of the sheer mass of material available — more than 600,000 documents, in all.

I have written about the Harmony data base of captured Iraqi military and intelligence documents in my recent book, Shadow Warriors: Traitors, Saboteurs, and the Party of Surrender.

One of the most damning documents to emerge from the Harmony data base, I wrote, was a Jan. 18, 1993 order from Saddam Hussein, transmitted to the head of Iraqi intelligence, “to hunt the Americans that are in Arab lands, especially in Somalia, by using Arab elements or Asian (Muslims) or friends.”

In response, the head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service informed Hussein that Iraq already had ties with a large number of international terrorist groups, including “the Islamist Arab elements that were fighting in Afghanistan and [currently] have no place to base and are physically present in Somalia, Sudan, and Egypt.” In other words, al-Qaida.

The authors of the IDA study note that Saddam’s Iraq “was a long-standing supporter of international terrorism,” and that these particular documents provided ‘detailed evidence of that support.'”

The study also points out that the captured documents “reveal that Saddam was training Arab fighters (non-Iraqi) in Iraqi training camps more than a decade prior” to the 2003 war.

But the study shies away from identifying them as al-Qaida terrorists, even though many of them were members of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, whose leader, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri, became the deputy leader of al-Qaida in 1998.

Preparations for Suicide Operations Against U.S.

While the IDA study includes no information that would show operational ties between Saddam’s regime and the 9/11 hijackers, it reveals that Saddam personally gave orders on Sept. 17, 2001 to his general military intelligence directorate to recruit Iraqi officers for “suicide operations” against the United States.

The 112-page Harmony data file ISGQ-2005-00037352 contains Saddam’s order, as well as personal pledges to carry out suicide operations from more than one hundred “volunteers,” including a brigadier general.

In the order he issued just one week after the 9/11 attacks, Saddam stated that the volunteers should sign pledges “to be written in blood,” presumably their own.

Four years before this order, Saddam announced with great fanfare that he had tasked a prominent Iraqi calligrapher to produce a Quran written with his own blood. Saddam reportedly had doctors draw his blood for the task.

Several other key documents are glaringly absent from the IDA report and provide direct evidence of Saddam Hussein’s deep involvement with al-Qaida and its component organizations.

Among them is a 1999 notebook kept by an unidentified Iraqi intelligence official that detailed meetings between top Iraqi leaders and visiting Islamic terrorists. (Harmony document ISGP-2003-0001412).

One Baghdad visitor was Maulana Fazlur Rahman a signer of Osama bin Laden’s infamous 1998 fatwa calling on Muslims to “murder Americans.” Another was Afghan mujahedin leader Gulbudin Hekmatyar, who was also supported by Iran.

Roy Robison, a former U.S. government contractor who published an analysis of Saddam’s relationship to al-Qaida last year, argues that when Rahman met with Iraqi Vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan in 1999 “he did so as the father of the Taliban and as a leader of the World Islamic Front which declared war on the U.S the year before.”

Another document not included in this latest report was a review by Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) of their ongoing ties with Osama bin Laden and other opponents to the Saudi regime (Harmony document ISGZ-2004-009247).

This document reads like a memorandum for the record, written in early 1997, tracing the beginnings of the Iraqi regime’s relationship to Osama bin Laden.

In a letter dated Jan. 11, 1995, Saddam Hussein personally authorized the General Director of Intelligence to establish direct contact with bin Laden in Sudan, the report states.

The initial meeting with bin Laden took place just one month later, on Feb. 19, 1995, and included an offer by Iraq to provide bin Laden with broadcasting facilities and a discussion of plans “to perform joint operations against foreign forces in the land of Hijaz [ie, Saudi Arabia].

Following bin Laden’s expulsion from Sudan, in July 1996, the memo states that the Iraqi intelligence service is “working to revitalize this relationship through a new channel.”

The IDA report includes in its supporting documentation a detailed report by the Iraqi general director of intelligence in response to an “action directive” issued by Saddam on Jan. 18, 1993, ordering his intelligence service to establish relations with terrorist groups around the world and to develop the “expertise to carry out assignments.”

In addition to a variety of Palestinian groups, the document lists the Hezb Islami of Afghanistan, the Islamic Scholars Group of Pakistan, the Jam’iyat “Ulama Pakistan, all of which subsequently became affiliated with al-Qaida.

The authors of the IDA report note in the abstract accompanying their work that the captured documents provide “evidence that links the regime of Saddam Hussein to regional and global terrorism, including . . . Islamic terrorist organizations.”

While the documents “do not reveal direct coordination and assistance between the Saddam regime and the al-Qaida network, they do indicate that Saddam was willing to use, albeit cautiously, operatives affiliated with al-Qaida,” and to provide financing and training of these outside groups.

“This created both the appearance of and, in some ways, a 'de facto' link between the organizations,” the report’s authors stated.

Much of the polemic over Saddam’s support for al-Qaida arises from disputed claims, put forward in a Czech government intelligence report, that an Iraqi intelligence official met with 9/11 pilot Mohamed Atta in Prague in the April 2001.

No documents have surfaced that would corroborate that claim, while in press interviews well after the liberation of Iraq, the Iraqi intelligence officer who reportedly met with Atta in Prague told reporters that the meeting never took place.

All Iraqi Roads Lead to Terrorism

Contrary to the accounts that have appeared in mainstream media outlets, the Harmony documents and the IDA report show beyond any doubt that Saddam Hussein was willing to fund, train, and use Islamic terrorists, including groups affiliated with al-Qaida, to carry out his long-standing plans against the United States and U.S. allies in the region.

A 2002 annual report to the Iraq Intelligence Service M8 directorate of liberation movements shows that the IIS hosted 13 terrorist conferences during the year, and that Saddam personally received 37 congratulatory messages from international terrorist groups. The annual report also noted that the IIS had issued 699 passports to terrorists during the year.

“Saddam supported groups that either associated directly with al-Qaida [such as the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, led at one time by bin Laden’s deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri], or that generally shared al-Qaida's stated goals and objectives,” the IDA report states.

But an element of competition also kept Saddam from too much direct involvement with al-Qaida, the IDA report states.

While both Saddam and bin Laden wanted to drive the West out of Muslim lands and to create a single powerful state that would replace America as a global superpower, “bin Laden wanted — and still wants — to restore the Islamic caliphate while Saddam, despite his later Islamic rhetoric, dreamed more narrowly of being the secular ruler of a united Arab nation,” the report’s authors state.

The relationship between Saddam Hussein and bin Laden bore some resemblance to the Cali and Medellin drug cartels.

While the seemingly rival cartels were vying for market share, “neither cartel was reluctant to cooperate with the other when it came to the pursuit of a common objective,” the report’s authors state.

“Recognizing Iraq as a second, or parallel, "terror cartel" that was simultaneously threatened by and somewhat aligned with its rival helps to explain the evidence emerging from the detritus of Saddam's regime,” the IDA report states.

Link to First World Trade Center Attack

One terror tie apparently put to rest in this latest report are the suspicions that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center.

Analysts such as Laurie Mylroie have argued for years that Saddam’s regime was behind the 1993 attack, and cited as evidence the fact that a key member of the plot, Abdul Rahman Yasin, fled to Iraq immediately after the bombing.

As I reported in Shadow Warriors, Saddam Hussein recorded all meetings in his presidential office, and the Harmony data base includes tapes from a series of meetings during 1993 that discussed the interrogation of Yasin.

Saddam “discusses the possibility that the attack was part of the ‘dirty games that the American intelligence would play if it had a bigger purpose,’” and expresses concern that Yasin might be an American agent, the IDA report states.

According to Saddam, Yassin was “too organized in what he is saying and [he] is playing games, playing games and influencing the scenario” during his interrogations by Iraqi intelligence. Saddam ordered that the interrogations continue but “actually warns against allowing Yasin to commit suicide or be killed in jail,” the report states.

Saddam believed that “the most important thing is not to let the Arabic public opinion [believe] we are cooperating with the US against the opposition. I mean that is why our announcement [that Yasin is being held] should include doubts . . . [about] who carried out this operation. Because it is possible that in the end we will discover — even if it is a very weak possibility — that a fanatic group who carried it organized the operation.”

Saddam and his advisors were hoping to use the interrogations of Yasin, and whatever information they could gather from him about the organizers of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, to enhance their position in world public opinion.

If handled correctly, Saddam said, Yasin’s confessions "will benefit us greatly; it will benefit us in our issue in the matter of the stance that the U.S. has taken against us.”Kenneth R. Timmerman was nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize along with John Bolton for his work on Iran. He is Executive Director of the Foundation for Democracy in Iran, and author of Countdown to Crisis: the Coming Nuclear Showdown with Iran (Crown Forum: 2005).

A poll of 16 countries indicated that a slim majority of Palestinians believe women's rights have become less equal in the West Bank and Gaza, according to a report published by worldpublicopinion.org. The study also showed that there is widespread consensus among most of those surveyed that it is important for "women to have full equality of rights." poll included Western and Muslim countries and also showed that men and women varied very little in their responses to this issue.

The report added that "very large majorities in nearly all nations polled perceived that, over the course of their own lifetime, women have gained more equality of rights as compared to men." On average 71% of respondents perceived that women have gained greater quality of rights with 29% saying that they gained "much" more equality, the study stated. Forty-two percent said they had gained "little" equality.

The two exceptions to this trend were the Palestinian Territories and Nigeria. Slightly more than half (51%) of Palestinians said that women's rights had become less equal while 41% said they had grown more equal. In Nigeria, the response was split with 46% responding that women had achieved greater equality and exactly the same amount saying the opposite.

Despite the increased perception of an improvement in women's rights, large majorities would like their government and the United Nations to take an active role in preventing discrimination.

The poll was released as part of International Woman's Day, a date recognized by the United Nations and observed around the world. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the UN General Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose second article declares that all are entitled to the same rights and freedoms, regardless of sex as well as race, language, religion, or other status. .

Friday, March 21, 2008

First, Hamas blamed Israel for this. Later, it was revealed to be another "holy mission" gone awry. "Hamas: Blast that killed 2 was accident," by Ibrahim Barzak for the Associated Press:

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Palestinian militants accidentally set off a large blast at a Hamas training base in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing two members of the violent Islamic group and wounding another, a Palestinian medical official said. Hamas initially blamed Israel for the blast, but later acknowledged that it was caused by a mishandling of explosives, saying its men died while performing a "holy mission." The Israeli military denied involvement.

The incident happened amid new signs that Israel is moving closer to a cease-fire with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Israeli defense officials said Amos Gilad, a senior Defense Ministry official, traveled to Cairo on Tuesday for talks with Egyptian mediators. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the talks.

So there are "new signs that Israel is moving closer to a cease-fire." It is as obvious as ever that Hamas is not.

Two recent polls find a vast majority of Arabs supporting terror attacks and a growing Israeli majority opposed to further withdrawals.

A recent Palestinian Authority poll shows that 84 percent of PA Arabs approve of the massacre at Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where eight students were gunned down and ten wounded.. The poll, carried out by Ramallah-based pollster Khalil Shikaki, interviewed 1,270 PA Arabs. 64 percent support the rocket attacks on Israeli cities and towns such as Sderot and Ashkelon launched from Hamas-controlled Gaza. Those who oppose the attacks don’t necessarily do so on moral grounds, but rather strategic considerations.

A slim majority of PA Arabs support Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas for president over Fatah’s Mahmoud Abbas.

In February of last year, a Near East Consulting (NEC) poll found that 75 percent of PA Arabs do not think that Israel has a right to exist.

Referring to the most recent poll, Zionist Organization of America President Morton Klein said the results were not surprising. "This poll, unfortunately, merely confirms the results of innumerable earlier polls, showing Palestinians to approve of terrorism that targets innocent Jewish men, women and children and rejecting peace or co-existence with Israel as a Jewish state. In these circumstances, it is clear that a Palestinian state would be nothing more that the world's newest terrorist state. It would be folly for either Israel or the United States to support the establishment of a Palestinian state under such conditions and it noteworthy that the former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon, former CIA director R. James Woolsey and pre-eminent Middle East historian Bernard Lewis have all come out in opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state."

Israelis Tired of WithdrawalsA poll commissioned by SOS-Israel phrased the question about future withdrawals: “In light of the results of the Disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip, are you in favor of a continued withdrawal from Judea and Samaria?"

64.9 percent answered that they oppose further withdrawals and 23.9 percent said are in favor. The others would not answer the question. Divided into religious demographics, 95 percent of Hareidi-religious opposed withdrawals, followed by 90.9 of the national religious and 57 percent of the non-observant public./span>

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), in the past week has lobbied Congress about conditions in Hamas-controlled Gaza and urged support for convicted Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative, Sami Al-Arian. CAIR was silent in the wake of the Yeshiva attack in Jerusalem in which a Palestinian gunman murdered 8 students in cold blood, and has never called on Hamas to stop its indiscriminate rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.

Talking to government officials about the humanitarian situation in Gaza is not, in and of itself, problematic. But CAIR's efforts must be viewed in the context of their recent actions, and, more importantly, CAIR's glaring omissions.On Al-Arian, who is engaged in yet another hunger strike while he again attempts to evade a subpoena to appear before a grand jury, CAIR writes:

His attorneys say an earlier plea agreement freed him from further cooperation with the government.

Yet the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in January that Al-Arian's plea agreement did no such thing – a development of which CAIR is very well aware.

And Al-Arian's defense attorney, Jonathan Turley, in a similar vein, is continuing his disinformation campaign on behalf of his client. Recently, on his blog, Turley wrote:

"Dr. Al-Arian began his hunger strike after the government called him before a third grand jury — prolonging his incarceration in violation of an agreement reached in Florida after the failed attempt to prosecute him for terrorist related charges." (emphasis added)

Several courts have now ruled that compelling Dr. Al-Arian to testify does not violate Al-Arian's plea, or any other, agreement. The January opinion from 11th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded Al-Arian could be compelled to testify before a grand jury, and further stated:

The exclusion of a standard plea agreement provision requiring a defendant to cooperate with the government, whether voluntarily or under subpoena, does not establish that the government immunized Al-Arian from future grand jury subpoenas. This contention is especially dubious where, as here, the plea agreement contains an integration clause stating that there are no other promises, agreements, or representations except those set forth in the agreement, and Al-Arian denied at his plea hearing that he pled guilty in reliance on any promises or inducements except for those found in the agreement.

That basically echoes a ruling by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in March 2007. It should also be noted that, despite Turley's assertion of that the government failed in its attempt to prosecute Al-Arian on terrorist related charges that, Al-Arian, in fact, plead guilty to a terrorism related charge: "[c]onspiracy to make or receive contributions of funds, goods or services to or for the benefit of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Specially Designated Terrorist, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371."

But a mere conviction on a terrorism charge will not stop CAIR from supporting Al-Arian, and from attempting to mislead others about the nature of his case. And so CAIR's alleged concern for the people of Gaza, and their purported championing of human rights, rings hollow in light of the fact that they refuse to condemn the Hamas terror gang or speak up on the deadly Yeshiva attack. It chooses to expend more energy on behalf of a convicted terrorist than on the people his organization has worked to slaughter.

Remember that CAIR has been linked to Hamas by federal prosecutors on three separate occasions in the past year. Evidence produced at the Hamas-support trial of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) last summer showed CAIR was part of a Muslim Brotherhood-led "Palestine Committee" in America, created to support Hamas.

There really has never been any doubt which side CAIR is on, but now, after the last few weeks, there definitely is none.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

US Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones suggested during a tour of overcrowded Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem on Monday that many Jews will just have to move out of the capital rather than expand into parts of the city claimed by the Palestinians. Jones told said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post that Washington is growing increasingly displeased with Jewish housing projects on the eastern side of Jerusalem, which are certain to hinder efforts to conclude a peace deal along the lines of US President George W. Bush's vision for the region. The American envoy said he is well aware of the lack of Jewish housing in Jerusalem, but in a remark betraying a lack of understanding regarding Jewish historical and spiritual connection to the city Jones concluded that "sometimes people do have to move to a different location. They cannot always stay close to their families."

He insisted that more important than the Jews' restoration to their biblical capital and heartland is Israel's implementation of commitments made as part of the US-driven Road Map peace process, even if unreciprocated by the Palestinians.

Jones ended the interview by all but justifying the Palestinian Authority's ongoing failure to meet its primary obligations to curb anti-Israel violence and incitement by stating that "it is not easy for either side to move ahead when they see the provocative behavior of the other side."

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

There is something both poignant and galling about the candidacy of Barack Obama.

Any American, regardless of party or race, has to find it heartening that the country has reached the point where a black candidate for president of the United States sweeps so many primaries in states where the overwhelming majority of the population is white.

We have all seen the crowds enthralled by Barack Obama's rhetoric and theatrical style.

Many of his supporters put their money where their mouths were, so that this recently arrived senator received more millions of dollars in donations than candidates who have been far more visible on the national stage for far more years.. That's the good news. The bad news is that Barack Obama has been leading as much of a double life as Eliot Spitzer.

While talking about bringing us together and deploring "divisive" actions, Senator Obama has for 20 years been a member of a church whose minister, Jeremiah Wright, has said that "God Bless America" should be replaced by "God damn America" — among many other wild and even obscene denunciations of American society, including blanket racist attacks on whites.

Nor was this an isolated example. Fox News Channel has played tapes of various sermons of Jeremiah Wright, and says that it has tapes with hours more of the same.

Wright's actions matched his words. He went with Louis Farrakhan to Libya and Farrakhan received an award from his church.

Sean Hannity began reporting on Jeremiah Wright back in April of 2007. But the mainstream media saw no evil, heard no evil, and spoke no evil.

Now that the facts have come out in a number of places, and can no longer be suppressed, many in the media are trying to spin these facts out of existence.

Spin number one is that Jeremiah Wright's words were "taken out of context." Like most people who use this escape hatch, those who say this do not explain what the words mean when taken in context.

In just what context does "God damn America" mean something different?

Spin number two is that Barack Obama says he didn't hear the particular things that Jeremiah Wright said that are now causing so much comment.

It wasn't just an isolated remark. Nor were the enthusiastic responses of the churchgoers something which suggests that this anti-American attitude was news to them or something that they didn't agree with.

If Barack Obama was not in church that particular day, he belonged to that church for 20 years. He made a donation of more than $20,000 to that church.

In all that time, he never had a clue as to what kind of man Jeremiah Wright was? Give me a break!

You can't be with someone for 20 years, call him your mentor, and not know about his racist and anti-American views.

Neither Barack Obama nor his media spinmeisters can put this story behind him with some facile election-year rhetoric. If Senator Obama wants to run with the rabbits and hunt with the hounds, then at least let the rabbits and the hounds know that.

The fact that Obama talks differently than Jeremiah Wright does not mean that his track record is different. Barack Obama's voting record in the Senate is perfectly consistent with the far-left ideology and the grievance culture, just as his wife's statement that she was never proud of her country before is consistent with that ideology.

Senator Barack Obama's political success thus far has been a blow for equality. But equality has its down side.

Equality means that a black demagogue who has been exposed as a phony deserves exactly the same treatment as a white demagogue who has been exposed as a phony.

We don't need a president of the United States who got to the White House by talking one way, voting a very different way in the Senate, and who for 20 years followed a man whose words and deeds contradict Obama's carefully crafted election-year image.

Just as Sen. Barack Obama sought to distance himself from controversial racial remarks made by his pastor, an anti-American government, anti-white and virally anti-Semitic black supremacist party has endorsed the presidential candidate on Obama's own website. "Obama will stir the 'Melting Pot' into a better 'Molten America,'" states an endorsement from the New Black Panther Party, or NBPP, which is a registered team member and blogger on Obama's "MyObama" campaign website.

The NBPP is a controversial black extremist party whose leaders are notorious for their racist statements and for leading anti-white activism.

Malik Zulu Shabazz, NBPP national chairman, who has given scores of speeches condemning "white men" and Jews, confirmed his organization's endorsement of Obama in an interview with WND today.

"I think the way Obama responded to the attack on him and the attempt to sabotage his campaign shows true leadership and character. He had a chance to denounce his pastor and he didn't fall for the bait. He stood up and addressed real issues of racial discord," stated Shabazz.

Shabazz boasted he met Obama last March when the politician attended the 42nd anniversary of the voting rights marches in Selma, Ala.

"I have nothing but respect for Obama and for his pastor," said Shabazz, referring to Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor of nearly 20 years. It is Wright's racially charged and anti-Israel remarks that were widely circulated last week, landing the presidential candidate in hot water and prompting Obama to deliver a major race speech in which he condemned Wright's comments but not the pastor himself.

Speaking to WND, Shabazz referred to Obama as a man with a "Muslim background, a man of color."

Shabazz's NBPP's official platform states "white man has kept us deaf, dumb and blind," refers to the "white racist government of America," demands black people be exempt from military service, and uses the word "Jew" repeatedly in quotation marks.

Shabazz has led racially divisive protests and conferences, such the 1998 Million Youth March in which a few thousand Harlem youths reportedly were called upon to scuffle with police officers and speakers reportedly demanded the extermination of whites in South Africa.

The NBPP chairman was quoted at a May, 2007, protest against the 400-year celebration of the settlement of Jamestown, Va., stating, "When the white man came here, you should have left him to die."

He claimed Jews engaged in an "African holocaust" and he has promoted the anti-Semitic urban legend 4,000 Israelis fled the World Trade Center just prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

When Shabazz was denied entry to Canada last May while trying to speak at a black action event, he blamed Jewish groups and claimed Canada "is run from Israel."

Canadian officials justified the action stating he has an "anti-Semitic" and "anti-police" record, but some reports blamed what was termed a minor criminal history for the decision to deny him entry.

He similarly blamed Jews for then-New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani's initial decision, later rescinded, against granting a permit for the Million Youth March.

The NBPP's deceased chairman, Kalil Abdul Muhammad, a former Nation of Islam leader who was once considered Louis Farrakhan's most trusted adviser, gave speeches referring to the "white man" as the "devil" and claiming that "there is a little bit of Hitler in all white people."

In a 1993 speech condemned by the U.S. Congress and Senate, Muhammad, lionized on the NBPP site, referred to Jews as "bloodsuckers," labeled the pope a "no-good cracker," and advocated the murder of white South Africans who would not leave the nation subsequent to a 24-hour warning.

All NBPP members must memorize the group's rules, such as that no party member "can have a weapon in his possession while drunk or loaded off narcotics or weed," and no member "will commit any crimes against other party members or black people at all."

The NBPP endorses Obama on its own page of the presidential candidate's official site that allows registered users to post their own blogs.

The group labels itself on Obama's site as representing "Freedom, Justice, and Peace for all of Mankind." It links to the official NBPP website, which contains what can be arguably referred to as hate material.

The NBPP racked up 396 Obama campaign points, which purportedly are points given to users who raise funds, sign up other supporters or score high user ratings.

While it appears anyone can initially sign up as a registered supporter on Obama's site, it isn't clear whether the campaign monitors the site or approves users. There is a link on each blog page for users to report any abusers, such as those who post controversial entries, to the administrator.

Speaking to WND, Shabazz said aside from promoting black rights, he also supports Obama because he may take what he called a "less biased" policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"I have hopes he will change the U.S. government's position toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because our position has been unwarranted biased. Time and time again the U.S. vetoed resolutions in the U.N. Security Council condemning [Israeli] human rights violation...I hope he shifts policy," Shabazz said.

But the extremist added he doesn't believe Obama could change America's policy regarding Israel very much since, he said, "other, powerful lobbies" control U.S. foreign policy.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Rabbi Yechezkel Greenwald, father of four, is in Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital after being stabbed in the neck by an Arab terrorist near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City on Tuesday morning.The 49-year-old Beit El resident is a teacher at the Ateret Cohanim Yeshiva in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem. A student who was accompanying the rabbi reportedly fought off the terrorist, preventing the rabbi from being more seriously hurt.

Rabbi Greenwald was treated by Hatzalah-Ichud medics on the scene, and was evacuated to the hospital by a Magen David Adom ambulance. His condition improved as the hours passed, and by early afternoon he was reported to be in light condition. The Greenwald family has asked that people pray for Rabbi Yechezkel ben [son of] Zahava.

Terrorist’s Face Caught on CameraSecurity cameras at the gate captured the attack on tape. The face of the terrorist was quickly isolated and distributed to police searching the area. The Damascus Gate is the central open-air market in the area and is usually quite crowded.

Jewish residents of the Muslim Quarter – the largest part of the Old City -- have been instructed by police not to walk through the area without an armed guard.

Second Terrorist Attack in Jerusalem in Two WeeksTuesday’s stabbing was the second terrorist attack in Jerusalem in less than two weeks. Eight young students at the Merkaz HaRavYeshiva in Jerusalem were slaughtered in cold blood by an Arab resident of the Jabel Mukabar suburb in the eastern section of the capital. Eleven other students were wounded, and two of them are still hospitalized.

The murderer, Ala Abu Dheim, holds an Israeli ID card, as does his family, enabling them to move freely within pre-1967 Israel, including Jerusalem. They also are entitled to all Israeli benefits enjoyed by citizens of the Jewish State, with the exception of participating in national elections - as they chose not to accept official citizenship. The Abu Dheim family votes in PA elections instead.

Witnesses said the terrorist chased down the eight boys he murdered, shooting most of them in the yeshiva library at point-blank range after they had already been wounded. Bullet holes in the floor where they lay in a pool of blood attested to the truth of the account.

Closure in Judea and Samaria for Holiday SecurityA full closure will be placed on the Palestinian Authority areas of Judea and Samaria on Wednesday, and will last until Monday. The closure covers the holiday of Purim, a three-day period this year, which starts Thursday evening.

The closure stems from intelligence information that terror attacks are being planned to coincide with the close of the 40-day Muslim mourning period for the Hizbullah terror organization’s second-in-command, Imad Mughniyeh. Mughniyeh was assassinated in Syria. The 40-day mark is a favorite among terrorists for carrying out revenge attacks.

Israel's General Security Service (Shin Bet) also released a statement to the media warning of seven concrete threats of terrorist attacks over the Purim festival period. Police have already raised the terror alert in response to the information.

Palestinian Authority Arabs and Israeli-Arabs who live in Jerusalem will still be able to travel freely throughout the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

"Gaza conditions at '40-year low'" the BBC headlined last week. Rarely a week goes by without a politician or organization deploring the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. But I do not hear anyone describe its root cause: 60 years of Arab policy aimed at maintaining Palestinians as stateless refugees in order to pressure Israel. I lived in Gaza as a child in the 1950s when Egypt conducted guerrilla-style operations against Israel from Gaza, then under Egyptian control. My father commanded these operations, carried out by "fedayeen," (which means, "self sacrifice"). This became the frontline of Arab Jihad against Israel. My father was killed by Israel in a targeted assassination in 1956.

Today the Gaza Strip, now under the control of Hamas, has become the Gaza prison camp for 1.5 million Palestinians and continues to serve as the launching pad for attacks against Israeli citizens.

This is the legacy of the Arab world's Palestinian refugee policy, started 60 years ago, when the Arab League implemented special laws regarding Palestinians that all Arab countries had to abide by. Arab countries could not absorb Palestinians. Even if a Palestinian married a citizen of an Arab country, that Palestinian could not become a citizen of his or her spouse's country. A Palestinian can be born, live and die in an Arab country, but never gain its citizenship. Even now I receive e-mails from Palestinians telling me they cannot have a Syrian passport, for example, and must remain Palestinian even though they have never set foot in the West Bank or Gaza. Forcing the Palestinian identity on them is designed to perpetuate the Palestinian refugee status. Palestinians have been used and abused by Arab nations, and by Palestinian terrorists, for the purpose of destroying Israel.

The 22 Arab states certainly do not have a shortage of land. Many surrounding Arab areas, such as the Sinai Peninsula, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, are very sparsely populated. But absorbing Palestinians would end their refugee status and their desire to harm Israel.

Arab wealth, which is increasing dramatically because of skyrocketing oil prices, is not used to improve the lives, infrastructure and economy of the people of the West Bank and Gaza. Instead, it supports terror groups who reject Israel's existence and oppose peace with Israel. The average Gaza man has a better employment opportunity if he joins Hamas.

Gazans' breach of their checkpoint with Egypt in January, orchestrated by Hamas, is a result of the Palestinian refugee policy. The checkpoints on the Arab side of Gaza could not keep the inmates inside. The Arab plan to overpopulate Gaza exploded in the wrong direction. After this explosion, Suleiman Awwad, an Egyptian administration spokesman, said, "Egypt is a respected state, its border cannot be breached and its soldiers should not be lobbed with stones." In other words, Egypt is not like Israel, which is a disrespected state. Gazans should not direct the violence at Egypt, only at Israel. This is Arab conventional wisdom.

Last month Hamas threatened to bring 40,000 Palestinians, primarily children and women, to the Gaza border with Israel to protest Israel's restrictions on Gaza. Some Hamas leaders hinted they would send these protestors to breach the border, once again demonstrating that the Palestinian terrorists have no qualms about endangering the lives of innocent people -- Israelis or Palestinians. Fortunately, only 5,000 showed up.

But Hamas did succeed two days later in killing an Israeli: a 47 year-old father of four during a rocket attack from Gaza while he was sitting in his car next to Sapir College near Sderot. Two weeks earlier, two Israeli brothers, Osher and Rami Twito, ages 8 and 19, were seriously injured by a rocket from Gaza while buying their father a birthday present. Osher's left leg had to be amputated.

Israel completely left Gaza in August 2005. In May and June 2007, Hamas waged war against its Palestinian brothers in Fatah to gain control of Gaza. Hamas intensified its rockets attacks on Israeli towns, compelling Israel to take economic and military measures against Gaza. Hamas has become a danger not only to Israel, but to Palestinians and to neighboring Arab countries, as well. Nevertheless, the Arab world still refuses to see its role in creating this monster. It is difficult to find a similar situation in human history: the intentional creation of a refugee status for a million and a half people, sustained for 60 years. The Arab world has cut its nose to spite its face.The world needs to understand that this dangerous mess started when 22 Arab countries agreed to create a human prison called the Gaza Strip. Arabs claim they love the Palestinian people, but they seem more interested in sacrificing them. It is time for the Arab world to open their side of the borders and absorb the Arabs of the West Bank and Gaza who wish to be absorbed. It is time for the Arab world to truly help the Palestinians, not use them.

Nonie Darwish, who grew up in Cairo and Gaza City, is the author of, "Now They Call me Infidel."

Monday, March 17, 2008

There are no shades of gray; there is no cultural relativism, no equidistant, conditional ifs and buts. There is no Israeli action followed by a Palestinian reaction. There is no egalitarian share of the blame and responsibility, and the sooner this fact is understood by the international community, the better.Recent media reports about the plight of Gaza residents highlighted the fact that hunger, poverty, shortage of electricity and fuel in Gaza were the result of Israel's blockade on that Palestinian-controlled zone. As if Israel decided, out of the blue, to impose collective punishment on all Palestinians out of sheer evil. It was then easy for the world media to present rocket launching from Gaza as a natural, understandable, reaction of a frustrated, hungry population. Similarly, terror attacks against Israeli civilians are regularly presented by Palestinian spokesmen (picked up by "objective" journalists) as retaliation to the Israeli blockade on Gaza.

There is a difference between an arsonist lighting a building, and the fireman putting out the fire. There is no similarity between a robber who attacks his victim, and the policeman who attacks the robber in order to arrest him. Sure, both may use violence. But are they equally responsible for it?

Too often, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may seem like a vicious circle of violence, a back and forth game of tennis, an eye-for-an-eye that ultimately leaves both sides blind and the international community apathetic at best - and anti-Israeli at worst - mistaking victim for aggressor.

It may be necessary to remind ourselves that in the Middle East, there is a sequence of events, not a cycle of violence. It is a continuum which can be stopped at a moment's notice, by the Palestinians, should they choose to do so or should they feel the necessary international pressure to do so.

In August 2005, Israel pulled out of Gaza. We dismantled our settlements, down to the last one. We redeployed our troops outside Gaza. We left Gaza to the Gazans - no occupation, no Israeli presence. Without our presence there, the Hamas terror organization staged a coup d'etat in June 2007, taking over Gaza from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Since then, they have launched over 5,000 missiles at Israel's southern region.

Remember: there was no occupation of Gaza. There was no blockade of Gaza. That was not retaliation. There was no symmetry, only terrorism. And yet, Israel did not react to that provocation. We did not invade Gaza, or reconquer any part of it. But after thousands of rockets landed on our towns, Israel decided that supplying the Palestinians with fuel, electricity and other basic needs isn't the best policy of self-defense.

A blockade was imposed. When Hamas blew open the border between Gaza and Egypt, they opened the door to a massive influx of arms, ammunitions and terrorists coming into Gaza. They also used the breach to allow terrorists to cross into Sinai and from there into Israel, where they will try to kill more of our citizens.

This is not symmetry. This is terrorism, launched against people whose only crime is being Israeli and wanting to live in peace and security.

Israel will defend itself against this latest wave of terror. Do not call it a cycle of violence. The violence will end when the Palestinian terrorists stop attacking us. If they renounce violence, there will be peace. If we renounce self-defense, Israel will cease to exist. No symmetry.

The Jewish People's Right to the Land of Israel-The "Mandate for Palestine" & the Law of War

Ban Ki-moon, Condoleezza Rice, and Javier Solana became victims to the 'Occupation' mantra their own organization has repeated over and over in their propaganda campaign to legitimize the Arab position.

The "Road Map" vision, as well as continuous pressure from the "Quartet" (U.S., the European Union, the UN and Russia) to surrender parts of the Land of Israel are contrary to international law that firmly call to "encourage ... close settlement by Jews on the land, including State lands and waste lands not required for public purposes." It also requires "seeing that no Palestine territory shall be ceded or leased to, or in any way placed under the control of the government of any foreign power."

Any attempt to negate the Jewish people's right to Palestine - Eretz-Israel, and to deny them access and control in the area designated for the Jewish people by the League of Nations is a serious infringement of international law.

The "Mandate for Palestine" an historical League of Nations document, laid down the Jewish legal right under international law to settle anywhere in western Palestine, the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, an entitlement unaltered in international law. Fifty-one member countries - the entire League of Nations - unanimously declared on July 24, 1922:

"Whereas recognition has been given to the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and to the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country."

On June 30, 1922, a joint resolution of both Houses of Congress of the United States unanimously endorsed the "Mandate for Palestine":"Favoring the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.

"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That the United States of America favors the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which should prejudice the civil and religious rights of Christian and all other non-Jewish communities in Palestine, and that the holy places and religious buildings and sites in Palestine shall be adequately protected." [italics in the original]Law of War - Arab Unlawful Acts of Aggression in 1948

Six months before the War of Independence in 1948, Palestinian Arabs launched a series of riots, pillaging, and bloodletting. Then came the invasion of seven Arab armies from neighboring states attempting to prevent the establishment of a Jewish state in accordance with the UN's 1947 recommendation to Partition Palestine, a plan the Arabs rejected.

The Jewish state not only survived, it came into possession of territories - land from which its adversaries launched their first attempt to destroy the newly created State of Israel.

Israel's citizens understood that defeat meant the end of their Jewish state before it could even get off the ground. In the first critical weeks of battle, and against all odds, Israel prevailed on several fronts.

The metaphor of Israel having her back to the sea reflected the image crafted by Arab political and religious leaders' rhetoric and incitement. Already in 1948 several car bombs had killed Jews, and massacres of Jewish civilians underscored Arab determination to wipe out the Jews and their state.

6,000 Israelis died as a result of that war, in a population of 600,000. One percent of the Jewish population was gone. In American terms, the equivalent is 3 million American civilians and soldiers killed over an 18-month period.

Israel's War of Independence in 1948 was considered lawful and in self-defence as may be reflected in UN resolutions naming Israel a "peace loving State" when it applied for membership at the United Nations. Both the Security Council (4 March, 1949, S/RES/69) and the UN General Assembly (11 May, 1949, (A/RES/273 (III)) declared:

"[Security Council] Decides in its judgment that Israel is a peace-loving State and is able and willing to carry out the obligations contained in the Charter ..."Arab Unlawful Acts of Aggression in 1967

In June 1967, the combined armies of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan attacked Israel with the clear purpose expressed by Egypt's President: "Destruction of Israel." At the end of what is now known as the Six-Day War, Israel, against all odds, was victorious and in possession of the territories of Judea and Samaria [E.H., The West Bank], Sinai and the Golan Heights.

International law makes a clear distinction between defensive wars and wars of aggression. More than half a century after the 1948 War, and more than four decades since the 1967 Six-Day War, it is hard to imagine the dire circumstances Israel faced and the price it paid to fend off its neighbors' attacks.Who Starts Wars Does Matter

Professor, Judge Stephen M. Schwebel, past President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) states the following facts:

"The facts of the June 1967 'Six Day War' demonstrate that Israel reacted defensively against the threat and use of force against her by her Arab neighbors. This is indicated by the fact that Israel responded to Egypt's prior closure of the Straits of Tiran, its proclamation of a blockade of the Israeli port of Eilat, and the manifest threat of the UAR's [The state formed by the union of the republics of Egypt and Syria in 1958] use of force inherent in its massing of troops in Sinai, coupled with its ejection of UNEF.

"It is indicated by the fact that, upon Israeli responsive action against the UAR, Jordan initiated hostilities against Israel. It is suggested as well by the fact that, despite the most intense efforts by the Arab States and their supporters, led by the Premier of the Soviet Union, to gain condemnation of Israel as an aggressor by the hospitable organs of the United Nations, those efforts were decisively defeated.

"The conclusion to which these facts lead is that the Israeli conquest of Arab and Arab-held territory was defensive rather than aggressive conquest."

Judge Sir Elihu Lauterpacht wrote in 1968, one year after the 1967 Six-Day War:

"On 5th June, 1967, Jordan deliberately overthrew the Armistice Agreement by attacking the Israeli-held part of Jerusalem. There was no question of this Jordanian action being a reaction to any Israeli attack. It took place notwith¬standing explicit Israeli assurances, conveyed to King Hussein through the U.N. Commander, that if Jordan did not attack Israel, Israel would not attack Jordan.

"Although the charge of aggression is freely made against Israel in relation to the Six-Days War the fact remains that the two attempts made in the General Assembly in June-July 1967 to secure the condemnation of Israel as an aggressor failed. A clear and striking majority of the members of the U.N. voted against the proposition that Israel was an aggressor."Israel Has the Better Title to the Territory of What Was Palestine, Including the Whole of Jerusalem

International law makes it clear: All of Israel's wars with its Arab neighbors were in self-defence.

Professor, Judge Schwebel, wrote in What Weight to Conquest:

"(a) a state [Israel] acting in lawful exercise of its right of self-defense may seize and occupy foreign territory as long as such seizure and occupation are necessary to its self-defense;"(b) as a condition of its withdrawal from such territory, that State may require the institution of security measures reasonably designed to ensure that that territory shall not again be used to mount a threat or use of force against it of such a nature as to justify exercise of self-defense;"(c) Where the prior holder of territory had seized that territory unlawfully, the state which subsequently takes that territory in the lawful exercise of self-defense has, against that prior holder, better title."... as between Israel, acting defensively in 1948 and 1967, on the one hand, and her Arab neighbors, acting aggressively, in 1948 and 1967, on the other, Israel has the better title in the territory of what was Palestine, including the whole of Jerusalem, than do Jordan and Egypt.""No legal Right Shall Spring from a Wrong"

Professor Schwebel explains that the principle of "acquisition of territory by war is inadmissible" must be read together with other principles:

"... namely, that no legal right shall spring from a wrong, and the Charter principle that the Members of the United Nations shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State."

Simply stated: Arab illegal aggression against the territorial integrity and political independence of Israel, cannot and should not be rewarded.

Professor Julius Stone, a leading authority on the Law of Nations, stated:

"Territorial Rights Under International Law.... By their [Arab countries] armed attacks against the State of Israel in 1948, 1967, and 1973, and by various acts of belligerency throughout this period, these Arab states flouted their basic obligations as United Nations members to refrain from threat or use of force against Israel's territorial integrity and political independence. These acts were in flagrant violation inter alia of Article 2(4) and paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of the same article."

Thus, under international law Israel acted lawfully by exercising its right to self-defence when it redeemed and legally reoccupied Judea and Samaria, known also as the West Bank.

Legalities aside, before 1967 there were no Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and for the first ten years of so-called occupation there were almost no Jewish settlers in the West Bank. And still there was no peace with the Palestinians. The notion that Jewish communities pose an obstacle to peace is a red herring designed to blame Israel for lack of progress in the 'Peace Process' and enable Palestinian leadership to continue to reject any form of compromise and reconciliation with Israel as a Jewish state.

Hamas terrorist organization has put out feelers to arrange a ceasefire with Israel in the wake of an intensified counterterrorism campaign by the IDF in Gaza two weeks ago.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza region, has said it will halt its rocket attacks on western Negev communities, but only on condition that the government orders the IDF to halt all counterterrorist operations in Judea and Samaria as well as Gaza.

Israel previously has totally rejected the proposal Hamas spokesman Iman Tara told the London-based Arabic language newspaper Asharq al-Alawsat that the proposed ceasefire also is conditioned on Israel's re-opening Gaza crossings, which Israel closed following the terror group’s takeover of the region.

The government has allowed humanitarian shipments to pass through the crossings. Tara also charged that the Olmert administration's refusal to compromise is delaying a deal to free IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped almost two years ago in a cross-border terrorist attack.

Hamas has periodically blamed its refusal to release Shalit on various actions by Israel. Numerous deals brokered by Egyptian security officials and allegedly “agreed to” by the terrorists since Shalit’s abduction in June 2006 were torpedoed at the last minute by the group.

Numerous attempts by International Red Cross representatives and other foreign officials to visit Shalit and ascertain his condition have failed. Although Hamas released a video of the 20-year-old soldier last year and prior to that, an audio recording, Shalit’s whereabouts and condition remain unknown.

Terror Bomb Factories Active in Judea and Samaria PA Arab terrorists are also increasing their efforts to smuggle dangerous materials into Fatah-controlled Judea and Samaria, many of which can be used for manufacturing rockets and other weapons, according to IDF spokesmen.

IDF soldiers confiscated a truck carrying 12.5 tons of fertilizer at a Samaria checkpoint on Monday morning. The fertilizer in question is often used to prepare bombs. The truck was stopped following a joint operation involving the IDF, the Border Police, and the Civilian Administration.

Security forces have thwarted 14 attempts in the past several days to smuggle that substance and other dangerous materials as well as others in containers of merchandise hidden in five trucks.

Authorities have detected more that 1,600 attempts to transfer prohibited material, and police are investigating nine different incidents. The United States has insisted that Israel remove dozens of checkpoints in Judea and Samaria.

Prof. Alan Dershowitz, visiting in Israel, says 'rule of law' must adapt itself to fight the terror threat. He bemoans American Jewry's lack of connection with Israel, and calls on U.S. Jews to visit Israel.

Dershowitz, the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard University and an outspoken advocate for Israel in books, articles, lectures and debates, has set two goals for his current visit to Israel: He's here to show support for the residents of Sderot and Ashkelon, and to teach classes and give lectures on how to fight the war against terrorism within a revamped rule of law.The rules currently favor the terrorists over the democracies, and the rules have to change.

Speaking with IsraelNationalRadio's Yishai Fleisher, Dershowitz said, "I will be teaching how the rule of law has to change, to adapt to the new realities of suicide terrorists who use human shields and thus place democracies in a difficult situation. They take advantage of our higher morality, forcing democracies to choose between doing nothing or inevitably killing civilians. The rules currently favor the terrorists over the democracies, and the rules have to change."

On-Line Rally for SderotDershowitz said he will be participating in a large American Jewish Congress conference this week at which these issues will be discussed. "Some of the world's most important and influential jurists will be there, such as Irwin Kotler, who was Attorney General and Minister of Justice in Canada, former Israeli Supreme Court justices, and Americans as well. It will be an interesting attempt to redefine jurisprudence."

Prof. Dershowitz will also be visiting Sderot later this week, taking part in what organizers expect will be the largest-ever on-line rally. The rally will begin at 5 PM New York time (11 PM in Israel) this Thursday night, at www.togetherforisrael.org, and will switch back and forth between Israel, New York, Los Angeles and other sites around the world. Those involved, including Dershowitz, are hoping to have a million people click and sign on during the rally.

A Target on His Back"I'll be under the rockets in Sderot myself, with a big target on my back," Dershowitz said, "just like all the other citizens of Sderot. I want to feel what it's like to be in Sderot and Ashkelon at these times, with the terrorists playing Russian rocket roulette with the lives of Israeli citizens. Israel should adopt a zero tolerance policy for rockets. I have written that every rocket that flies from Gaza into Israel is a violation of UN Charter Article 51 - an armed attack giving Israel the full and complete right to proportional self-defense."

"Why must it be proportional?" Fleisher interjected, to which Dershowitz responded, "Proportional doesn't mean equating lives; it just means that if they fire a rifle at you, you can't nuke them. It also doesn't mean that for every life taken, you can take one life, as the international community absurdly believes. It simply means that you don't react totally out of proportion, and neither do you look at the actual damage caused, but rather, you look at the risks of an attack. If each rocket can potentially kill 100 people, then just because they missed, it doesn't remove the risk that had been there. Israel doesn't have to wait until inevitably a rocket hits a school bus or a kindergarten or an ambulance; it can look at the risks, not just the actual consequences."Israel doesn't have to wait until inevitably a rocket hits a school bus or a kindergarten or an ambulance.

Though he supports a strong Israeli response against terrorism, he is not politically right-wing. Dershowitz has stated that his book The Case for Israel "is a pro-Palestinian as well as pro-Israel book, because it favors an economically viable Palestinian democratic state, with good health care, education, opportunity, and freedom for the Palestinian people.”

Hizbullah Wants More Civilian DeathsDershowitz noted that while Israel has built a shelter system in Sderot in order to protect lives, "Hizbullah did exactly the opposite in Lebanon in 2006 - because Hizbullah wanted to increase the amount of its civilian deaths. That's because our culture is one of ubacharta bachaim [the Biblical prescription to 'choose life'], while the Imams encourage them to look at their children as martyrs. This is what makes it so difficult for the democracies, because the terrorists are trying to get us to kill their children."

US Jewry Growing More Disconnected with IsraelFleisher asked Prof. Dershowitz about the lack of connection of American Jews with Israel, noting that 70% of them have never been to Israel. "It's getting much worse," Dershowitz agreed. "My generation had a high level of connection to Israel, but my children and grandchildren's generations are much less so. Jews in their 20's are sometimes embarrassed by Israel; they're fair-weather friends. They're happy when Israel succeeds, but they ignore Israel when international support goes down. But core support for Israel is still pretty strong."

"I think we have to increase the case for Israel, that's why I write so much - I've written The Case for Israel, and now I'm writing The Case Against Israel's Enemies, where I take on people like Jimmy Carter, and Ahmedinajad, and Mearsheimer and Walt and other professors who devote their lives to their hatred of Israel. They have to know that they will be answered..."

"And in order to increase a sense of passion for Israel," Dershowitz concluded, "we have to bring more Jews to Israel; there's no better way to get a passion for Israel than to be here."

Last week I mocked Condoleezza Rice, who -- when testifying before a Congressional committee -- answered a question with regard to statements in favor of terrorism that Abbas had made by saying that she knew that Abbas was committed to the peace process and rejected violence.

The group Rice was speaking before was the US House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, chaired by Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D).

Congresswoman Lowey had, with eminent good sense, moved to freeze $150 million that Bush wanted to go straight to the PA.

But after hearing Rice, who gave heartfelt testimony to the peaceful and sincere intentions of Abbas, she decided to release $100 million of the money. This a portion of her released statement, which was addressed to Secretary Rice:

"I placed a hold on the $150 million in cash transfer assistance for the PA because of specific process requirements that had not been fulfilled by the State Department and USAID —specifically receiving a copy of the Memorandum of Agreement...and a certification that the conditions...had been met. I also expressed concern about President Abbas’s commitment to peace in light of his recent comments.

"I have since received a copy of the draft Memorandum of Agreement and your assurance that the Palestinian leadership is committed to peace with Israel. While I remain skeptical about the political will of a Palestinian leadership that all too often lapses into inflammatory rhetoric that belies their stated commitment to peace, I want no one to doubt the commitment of the United States to pursue peace when Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas have once again publicly affirmed their commitment to the peace process. Based on these events, I lifted the hold on $100 million in cash transfer assistance. Madam Secretary, I have maintained my hold on the additional $50 million pending the certification that I understand is forthcoming."

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So, it falls to us, my friends, to provide Congresswoman Lowey with information and expressions of concern that will bolster her reservations. Rather than being focused on making sure that no one should doubt the commitment of the US to pursue peace when Olmert and Abbas are committed to it, she must be helped to see that the current negotiations will not lead to peace and that certainly in the case of Abbas, the commitment is not real (while Olmert is without a mandate from the electorate).

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Congresswoman Lowey is from the 18th district of NY (which includes parts of Westchester and Rockland County).

Good to contact her, in any case, as a US citizen -- and I strongly encourage this. But it is a certainty that she is more receptive to her own constituents. If you are in the 18th district of NY, please contact her and let her know that you are in her constituency. If you know people who live in her district, even if you do not live there, please ask them to contact her.

Offer appreciation to Congresswoman Lowey for her caution in dealing with the matter of allocations for the PA, and her reservations regarding Abbas's commitment to peace.

Express your own deep concerns regarding the release of money to the PA because all past experience indicates that it is likely to be severely misused, and some part of it end up in terrorist hands.

Emphasize that there is strong evidence for Abbas's lack of commitment to peace, no matter what he says for western ears. Pick one or two of these to address:

-- The textbooks used in the PA don't accept Israel as legitimate and encourage martyrdom and Jihad. "Your enemies seek life and you seek death..." one 8th grade text tells them. Share the link to my report on this, if you fax: http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=0B3C0C2C-B7B8-4951-8CCB-256547645735

-- Abbas will not relinquish the "right of return" or recognize Israel as a Jewish state, so his saying he's for a "two state solution" is a farce.

-- On March 8, the official PA daily, Al Hayat Al Jadida, placed a photo of the terrorist, Alaa Abu D'heim, who murdered the eight students at Yeshivat Mercaz Harav, on its front page, and conferred upon him the title Shahid (holy Islamic Martyr), a designation of the highest honor.

-- Al Aksa Martyr's Brigades -- a terrorist arm of Abbas's Fatah party -- has not been disbanded, and not been required to surrender its arms. Some members of the Brigades are incorporated into the PA security forces.

-- There is documentation that PA security forces don't receive direct orders to take on terrorists.

-- There are reports that Fatah has agreed to meet with Hamas in Yemen to settle differences. This undercuts all notions of supporting Fatah as a moderate foil to Hamas.

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At the end of this posting, I provide the names of the members of Congresswoman Lowey's subcommittee. If you are a constituent of one of these, please also contact him or her.

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On Friday, three Kassams were shot into Israel. Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i was in Sderot when two rockets came in, and he was forced to seek shelter.

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Following this, we carried out two strikes from the air, in the course of which three members of Islamic Jihad -- members of a cell preparing to launch a rocket -- were killed and six others wounded.

According to reports, those who were killed were from the cell that launched the rocket that caused eight-year old Osher Tuito of Sderot to lose his leg.

One of those taken out -- Muhammad Sha'ar -- was in charge of rocket production for IJ.

~~~~~~~~~~

In the course of one of these operations, Hamas shot at an Israeli Apache helicopter with one or more machine guns. The helicopter was only lightly damaged and made it back to base without difficulty. However, this is worrisome.

Hamas -- which has now vowed to keep Israeli aircraft within its sites -- is believed to have more than a dozen Russian machine guns and to have set up an anti-aircraft unit. The unit may have been smuggled in, but there is reason to believe (and this is what Hamas itself is claiming) that the unit was secured from Fatah headquarters when Hamas took over Gaza last June.

Meanwhile, Islamic Jihad today announced that it had developed a rocket that reaches 22 kilometers, which is beyond Ashkelon.

I hope all of those who want to delay the major operation into Gaza -- and all of those who think it's a constructive move to supply the PA in Judea and Samaria with more weapons -- are factoring in this information as they make their decisions.

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Al Aksa Brigades has distributed a leaflet in the Ramallah area that said: "We renew our call to President Abbas to fire Salaam Fayyad and form a new government that would not abandon the armed struggle." Al Aksa is suggesting that Abbas "open a new page" with Hamas, and stop all coordination with Israel, including with regard to security.

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But it's not just the Brigades -- it's others in Fatah as well, who are angry about the government of technocrats, with Fayyad as prime minister, that Abbas established after the break with Hamas. They are greatly unhappy with Fayyad's attempts at financial reform, and about the fact that they are not securing enough positions. They've warned Abbas that there will be a revolt against him unless he lets Fayyad go.

Khaled Abu Toameh of the Post reports that there has been tremendous behind-the-scenes tension between Fayyad and Abbas since reports surfaced that the US wanted to see Abbas replaced by Fayyad.

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According to Abu Toameh, the general impression that Fatah sides with the US and Israel rather than with its brothers in Gaza is a major factor in a continuing weakening of the PA.

Rice, whose only goal in life seems to be pushing those peace accords, and who is lacking in all sophisticated comprehension of what's going on in this part of the world, has exacerbated this with her insistence that Abbas return to the negotiating table without securing demanded concessions that Israel agree to a ceasefire.

In spite of his saying he would return, actually, negotiations have not yet resumed, and many within Fatah are demanding that he not come back to the table.

What he actually said was that "If [US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice] says they should have been dismantled yesterday, we cannot leave them for a few more months."

And there you have it! This goes to the heart of the trouble we're in right now -- this rush to do what a US official wants of us, rather than what might be in Israel's long-term best interesting. Disgusting and shameful, is it not?

(In due course, as time and other issues allow, I still hope to return to that discussion about settlements.)

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I recommend here an editorial from the Post that addresses the injustice of how the world responds to us:

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Contrary to media spin, recent events are not part of a "cycle of violence".

These cartoons from The Times of London are indicative of many media's widespread misconception that Israel and the Palestinians are involved in a "cycle of violence" where both sides act in a "tit for tat" manner. The reality is quite different. Referring to the weekend's horrific terrorist murders of eight young students, the Jerusalem Post's editorial eloquently explains:

That the vicious assault has been widely reported and understood this weekend as the purported latest round in a "cycle of violence" is evidence of a failure to recognize what is truly at stake here. It has been suggested repeatedly in international coverage of the attack that Israel must have known something like this would happen in the wake of the IDF's operation in Gaza earlier in the week. Attack, it has been said, begets counter-attack, begets reprisal, begets revenge, and on it goes.

In truth, however, there is no cycle of violence. There is no spiral of attack and counter-attack relentlessly unfolding here.

What we have, rather, on the one hand, is a sovereign nation's desperate effort to live in its homeland, seek peace with those of its neighbors who will partner it, and defend itself against those who seek its destruction. And, on the other, we have the forces of militant Islam, firing rockets across Israel's sovereign borders, murdering Israelis wherever they can be found vulnerable, indoctrinating their people with a vicious intolerance of Jewish historical rights in this region, and simultaneously spreading a perverted interpretation of Islam that purports to require each and every believer to carry out personal jihad in the name of God against the infidels - be they Jews, Christians or unbelieving Muslims.

Some media went as far as to suggest that this so-called latest "cycle of violence" began with the death of a Sderot student in a Qassam rocket attack, escalated to extensive IDF military operations in Gaza and culminated with the Jerusalem terror attack. How can the media ignore the thousands of rockets and mortars fired from Gaza over a continuous period of years and the recent escalation caused by firing of Iranian-made GRAD-type Katyushas into the city of Ashkelon?

Please respond to the media's "cycle of violence" and bring an end to this cycle of distortion.

"DISPROPORTIONATE"?

Like in the 2006 Lebanon War, critics of Israel and some media have described recent Israeli military operations as "disproportionate", while failing to define what a proportional response would be. Israel has also variously been accused of violating "international law" without any real definition of this term. The end result is to deny Israel's right to self-defense. As Efraim Inbar explains:

Israel follows strict legal standards for military procedures. Legal authorities are invariably consulted before the approval of military operational plans and all military actions are subject to stringent judicial review by the Israeli High Court of Justice - an institution with impeccable credentials.

The often-aired charge of disproportionate use of force by the Israeli military betrays ignorance of international law or plain desire for Israel-bashing. The proportionality of the damage done in course of military action is measured in relation to the goal to be achieved by the use of force. The legitimate amount of force for the removal of the rocket threat from a quarter of a million of Israelis is the true test of proportionality. Causing the death of any number of armed Hamas terrorists is obviously a proportionate course of action. Even hundreds of Gazan civilians hurt in a defensive battle as collateral damage are worth the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israeli civilians.

Moreover, the civilians in Gaza cannot claim immunity to the consequences of the war that their leadership is conducting against Israel. Hamas was popularly elected in 2006 and every public opinion poll continues to indicate substantial support by Gazans for Hamas, as well as for terrorist attacks on Israel. Unfortunately, killing Jews is popular among the Palestinians.

FIGHTING ANTI-SEMITISM ON WEB 2.0

Andre Oboler examines how social networking and content collaboration are being used to target Israel and the Jewish people:

The main threat Web 2.0 poses to the Jewish people and their supporters is the creation of a culture where antisemitism has social acceptability, particularly among young people. In such an environment, the promotion of conspiracy theories, the demonization of Jews and the Jewish state, and the use of Jews as scapegoats become a norm and may lead to real violence against the Jewish people...

The spread of Antisemitism 2.0 relies on the ignorance of the masses, the ability to manipulate them, and the pure democracy of Web 2.0 where each uninformed opinion counts just as much as an expert's analysis. Web 2.0 is a mass movement that lends legitimacy to the majority opinion and uses peer pressure as an effective tool against those who disagree with the consensus.

In a Web 2.0 world, information is not usually imparted directly from authority. It either arrives through social networks or is sought out directly by individuals. The search methods in Web 2.0 favor the volume of supporters of a narrative and have little relationship to the degree of truth in the narrative.

HonestReporting is taking the lead in addressing Web 2.0 applications through online tools such as our 24HR Megaphone alerts, YouTube video channel and our expanding Facebook community. Sign up to all of these to help combat Anti-Semitism 2.0. See our communique "The Social Media Revolution" for more information on this issue.

"Germany's First Suicide Bomber in Afghanistan?," by Matthias Gebauer, Yassin Musharbash and Holger Stark for Spiegel (thanks to all who sent this in):

A young German-born Turk could possibly have carried out an attack in Afghanistan that killed two US soldiers. The Islamic Jihad Union claims 28-year-old Cüneyt C. from Bavaria was responsible for the March 3 attack, now the German authorities are desperately trying to find out the bomber's identity. Since March 6, German investigators have also been looking into the incident. Ever since experts at the Berlin-based Joint Counter-Terrorism Center (GTAZ) discovered an Internet message that included the photograph of a grinning bearded man they have been pulling out all the stops to investigate the case. There are indications that the Khost bomber was no Afghan or Pakistani radical. In fact it is likely that the perpetrator was a Turkish citizen from Bavaria, born in Freising and regarded as a dangerous Islamist. If it was him, it would be nightmare for the investigators -- the first suicide bomber from Germany.

'Exchanging a Life of Luxury for Paradise'

The investigators first regarded the Internet message as pure propaganda. The terrorist group Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) wrote in Turkish that they had attacked "the military camp of the occupying force of the unbelievers," with 4.5 tons of explosives, "fully destroying" the US camp. The site gladly quotes the Taliban, who helped prepare the operation, and its reports of helicopters that took away the bodies. Instead of the two dead US soldiers, the IJU speaks of 60 victims.

The text then gets more flowery but also very concrete when it comes to details. Cüneyt C., also known as Saad Ebu Furkan, had "successfully carried out" the attack -- "a brave Turk, who came from Germany and exchanged his life of luxury for paradise." According to the text, "our brother" always prayed "to cause great damage to the unbelievers." With this attack Allah had now heard Cüneyt C.'s prayer. The message is signed "the Press Office of the Islamic Jihad Union."...

Hazem Saghaya, a Lebanese journalist and commentator, published an article, "Gaza and the Cry of the Arabs," in which he criticizes Hamas for using children in the war against Israel.

Saghaya reviews the lack of official Arab reaction to Israeli activities in the Gaza Strip, in contrast to the reactions of the Arab public, and concludes that Islamic political movements have lost their influence in Arab society. Hamas, according to Saghaya, has contributed to the Islamization of the conflict and is responsible for pushing the conflict into its current anti-rational extremism.

Saghaya attacks Hamas for exploiting and sacrificing children for its own purposes: "Palestinian blood is spilled in Gaza at a cheap price …If we are sorry for the civilian and child sacrifices, we should be even angrier at Hamas for using children, just as Khomeini did during the war against Iraq, when he armed children with hand grenades and sent them to their deaths. Those who exploit this blood in order to shout 'Where are the Arabs?' are either lying to themselves, or lying to us as a way of promoting the plans of Iran and Damascus, and that is a crime."

Kuwaiti journalist defends Israel's right to self-defense

Alwatan website, 6 March: In his article, "The Right of Self-defense," Kuwaiti journalist Abdallah Alhadlaq attacks Hamas and Iran.

Alhadlaq writes, "After the escalation on the border with the Gaza Strip, where the terrorist (sic) Hamas rules, and from which they fired rockets and bombs on the town of Sderot and other towns for the purpose of killing innocent civilians, women, children and old people …Israel had no choice but to attack the terrorist organization Hamas in order to prevent it from firing rockets indiscriminately as far as Ashkelon. Israel has the right to pursue the terrorist Hamas leaders and, in so doing, upholds its right to defend itself."

Alhadlaq blames Iran for all of the troubles in the Middle East: "The common denominator for all of the troubles in the Middle East, such as the terrorist organization (sic) Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip, and the terrorist Hizbullah's attempts [to control] Lebanon, is the Persian entity in Teheran, which is known to finance the terrorist organizations."

"What would happen if terrorist organizations such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards would acquire nuclear weapons? There is no doubt that [they] would try to force their extremist, fundamentalist regime on every human society and continue to sponsor terrorist organizations all over the world."

Alhadlaq believes there is still time to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and calls on the international community to stop Iran from carrying out its evil designs.

Alhadlaq reiterates "Israel's right to defend itself and its people and its sovereignty against Hamas, which is supported by the Persian regime militarily and financially." He also tells the international community "not to criticize Israel if it continues its fight against Persian terror committed by the terrorist Hamas as long as the latter, incited by Iran, continues launching rockets from the Gaza Strip at the Israeli residents of Sderot, Ashkelon and other towns, and not to criticize Israel for using force to defend its citizens and its territory, even if this causes the total destruction of the terrorist Hamas, an organization that receives its orders from Teheran."

Alhadlaq ends the article, "And, as always, Israel will win despite its small size."

Arlene KushnerFrontPageMagazine.comAlthough questions are frequently raised regarding the ostensible moderation of PA president Mahmoud Abbas, somehow the entire issue of textbooks produced by the Palestinian Authority is given short shrift, as if it is of little import. Perhaps this is because there is the mistaken notion that, while the books once were problematic, they have been satisfactorily revised and no longer merit attention.

In point of fact, the contents of these books and the background to their publication are enormously telling: When we understand what the PA produces for its children, Abbas's intentions are laid bare, without the possibility of guile.Serious work on these texts has been done by the Institute for Measuring the Impact of Peace and Tolerance in School Education (formerly known as CMIP), located in Jerusalem. The Institute has released a number of reports over the years, and is scheduled to soon release its latest, which is being supported by the American Jewish Committee. Dr. Arnon Groiss, who heads research, provided the material that forms the basis for this review:

It was in 2000 that the PA began publishing its own textbooks – two grades per year – to replace the Jordanian and Egyptian texts that had been in use in its schools since its inception. By 2004, texts for all subjects in grades 1 through 10 had been released. This work was done during the Arafat era.

The books, on examination, were found to promote:

Delegitimization of Israel. Palestinians, who are said to be descendants of Canaanites, are represented as the only legitimate possessors of the land. The presence of Jews as residents in Israel is ignored. It is so blatant that when population figures are given, the Jews are simply omitted. Jews are seen as having been invaders in antiquity and colonialists now.

All Jewish holy places in Israel – including the Kotel, the Western Wall – are presented as purely Islamic sites. Israeli cities, such as Haifa, are referred to as Arab cities. There is not a single map that has Israel marked on it. Nor is Israel mentioned by name in texts. Instead there are phrases used such as "the area occupied in 1948," and "area of the 1948 war."

Demonization of Jews. Objective information on the history or culture of Jews is lacking. Individual Jews are never mentioned, only groups; Jews are thus denied their humanity. Jews in Israel are represented as evil and without a single positive trait. Jews are said to commit treaty violations, use tricks, kill people, seek the expulsion and extermination of Palestinians. In an 8th grade text, we find: "Your enemies kill your children, split open women's bellies."

Violence. There is no open support for peace based on reconciliation. "Liberation" of all of the land of Palestine is encouraged and praised. "Return" is seen as a violent process, part of the liberation. The emphasis on violence is intensified because of focus on the traditional Islamic ideals of Jihad and martyrdom

In 2005, after Abbas had become PA president, books for grade 11were released. There was some minimal improvement in them, but it was relative.

For instance, two maps are included that mention Israel by name. This is not done in a positive sense, however, to teach children that here is Israel, and here is the Palestinian state. The maps are Israeli maps showing plans for the division of the land, and the accompanying text is negative: This is what the colonial occupiers are planning.

In the 11th grade texts, as well, for the very first time, Jews are mentioned as being in Jerusalem. And, for the first time, in a PA history text, Kings David and Saul are mentioned, and there is an occasional reference to pre-1967 Israel.

It is, perhaps, this hint of change for the better that has led some to conclude that all is well. That conclusion, however, would be greatly premature. For, by the time the 12th grade books were introduced in 2006, Hamas was part of the PA unity government, and with one single exception, any small beginning sign of moderation had disappeared.

In addition, what we must not lose sight of is the fact that books for grades 1 through 10, produced under Arafat, continue to be in use. And so, students must wait until grade 11 to see a map that has Israel on it, and to learn that there officially are Jews in Jerusalem. By 11th grade (age 16 or 17), perceptions and understandings – molded by the earlier texts – are likely to be firmly embedded.

And here we come to the most telling part of this entire process: In 2007, after the Hamas - Fatah split, when Fayyad had become prime minister, all of the textbooks were reprinted. Here was Abbas's opportunity to ensure that meaningful changes in these books were made for all grades. It didn't happen. Most alterations were simply in page layout and format. Very few substantive changes were made – and of those that were, some were improvements, while others made matters worse.

When one examines all that is objectionable in these texts, what is perhaps most striking is the veneration of martyrdom. The Palestinian youth are being taught to seek death and violence rather than peace and life.

The texts – in all subject matter – are rife with exhortations to pursue martyrdom and Jihad.

From Our Beautiful Language, Grade 7, Part 1 (2001), p. 97. A section from a poem, called "The Martyr" that is to be studied:

"I shall carry my soul in my palm

And toss it into the abyss of destruction

...Hearing [weapons'] clash is pleasant to my ear

And the flow of blood gladdens my soul."

From Our Beautiful Language, Grade 5, part 1, p. 70 (2004):

"The fighter goes to battle with two happy ends in front of him: either victory or martyrdom."

From Our Beautiful Language, Grade 5, part 2, p. 32 (2004):

"The martyrs kiss it [the Palestinian flag] with their blood."

And, finally, from Reading and Texts, Grade 8, part 2, page 16 (2002), what is perhaps the most potent and disturbing example of them all:

"Your enemies seek life and you seek death...

"These drops of blood that flow from your bodies will be transformed into red fiery shooting stars that will come down on the heads of your enemies."

The student is not being told to analyze this material that is part of a poem. Rather, the student is being welcomed into a culture of death and asked to participate in its bloody and destructive rituals.American-born Arlene Kushner is an investigative writer and author in Jerusalem. UNRWA is a frequent topic of investigation for her. She has done major reports on this subject for the Center for Near East Policy Research, and has written articles on UNRWA for Azure Magazine, The Jerusalem Post, and Front Page Magazine.

Caroline Glick & Mark Levin: The Israeli Solution -- A One-State Pla

Why Israel Opposes International Forces in the Jordan Valley

U.S. scholars' group votes in favor of academic boycott of Israel

Yet another indication of the absolute corruption of American academia today. "US scholars' group votes in favor of academic boycott of Israel," from the Jerusalem Post, December 16: NEW YORK – The 5,000-member American Studies Association (ASA), which describes itself as “the nation’s oldest and largest association devoted to...http://www.jihadwatch.org/2013/12/us-scholars-group-votes-in-favor-of-academic-boycott-of-israel.html

Israel Living Prophecy

A senior New Israel Fund officer told a U.S. official in 2010 that the disappearance of the Jewish state would not be a tragedy, according to a document that was leaked by Wikileaks...She commented that she believed that in 100 years Israel would be majority Arab and that the disappearance of a Jewish state would not be the tragedy that Israelis fear since it would become more democratic.

Mideast expert Michael Widlanski: Fatah is a joke

US-Israeli talks focus on Ahmadinejad's possible ouster

How to exploit the deep cracks forming in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration for removing the Iranian president was a top item on the agenda of the high-level talks between Barack Obama's advisers and Israeli officials at Mossad headquarters in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, Wednesday, July 29.

DEBKAfile's Iranian sources report that Ahmadinejad's cabinet is falling apart; of his original lineup of 21 ministers, only nine remain at their posts.

The Identity Of The Land

Why the Palestinians need to recognize the Jewish State

We do NOT support a 2-state solution

A January 2009 poll found that Americans oppose creating a Palestinian state by 45-31 percent. A February 2009 Maagar Mohot Survey Institute poll has also shown that Israelis oppose creating a Palestinian state by 51-32 percent.

Many other polls tell a similar story.

These figures suggest that Americans and Israelis have understood that creating a Palestinian state under current conditions will not bring peace but merely another terror state.

Netanya,Israel

Jerusalem At Night

Why reconstruct Gaza without making demands

- that Shalit be release without convicted terrorists being released by Israel in exchange,

- that the US be put in charge of the southern border to ensure that Hamas isn’t rearmed?

- that their three preconditions be accepted by Hamas, i.e. agree to all former agreements,recognize Israel and renounce terror

- that Hamas amend their Charter

- That Hamas disconnect from Iran

The answer is that they don’t want to.

Children of Hamas

Picture of Hamas children the media does not show you

IDF: Civilian Deaths in Gaza Less than 25% of Total

A maximum of 25% of the Palestinians killed in Gaza since the beginning of the Israeli operation are innocent civilians, the head of the IDF's Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA), Col. Moshe Levi, said Wednesday. According to Palestinian medical officials, Israel has killed some 1,000 Palestinians and more than half of them are civilians. Levi said the CLA had compiled a list with the names of 900 Palestinians killed during the fighting. He said that 150 names were of women, children and elderly, and that the maximum number of civilians killed so far was 250. Levi also dismissed claims that 43 Palestinians were killed in an IDF attack on a Hamas terror cell that was firing mortars at Israeli forces from within an UNRWA school in Jabalya. Levi said 21 Palestinians were killed in the attack, including a number of Hamas operatives. (Jerusalem Post)

Hamas teaching the children of Gaza

An Iranian reformist daily newspaper has criticized Hamas "for risking lives of civilians, amongst them children, by hiding its forces in nurseries and hospitals." This is reported in today's Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam. The Palestinian daily adds that in response the Iranian government has closed the newspaper.

"The Iranian news agency "Irna" reported yesterday, that the Iranian Culture Ministry has closed the reformist daily newspaper "Karjo Zaran", because it published a report that included criticism of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). On December 30 the paper published a statement of a reformist student organization, that has criticized Hamas for risking lives of civilians, amongst them children, by hiding its forces in nurseries and hospitals. The statement was published whilst the Iranian government expresses a unified stands against Israel, and Tehran is overwhelmed by demonstrations against Israel."

[Al-Ayyam, Jan. 1, 2009] Thanks PMW

Iran-backed Hamas Rocket, Mortar Attacks and Nuclear Developments

9,400+ rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since 2003. [1]3,200+ rockets and mortars fired from Gaza in 2008 alone. [2]6,500+ rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. [3]543+ rockets and mortars fired from Gaza into Israeli territory during the ceasefire from June 19 to Dec. 19, 2008. [4]28 deaths caused by rockets and mortars fired from Gaza into Israel since 2001. The dead include Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers. Since the ceasefire ended, Iran-backed Palestinian groups in Gaza fired rockets and mortars that killed an Israeli-Arab construction worker and a mother of four who was seeking shelter in a bus station as a rocket warning siren sounded. [5]1,000+ people in Israel injured from rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since 2001, including Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers. Since the ceasefire, 44 Israelis have been injured and 200 have been treated for shock. [6]Thanks Israel Project

It began with this...

The British Foreign Office, November 2nd, 1917Dear Lord Rothschild,I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.

“His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate theachievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities inPalestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.2

Signed,Arthur James Balfour[Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs]

Favorite Books

While Europe Slept

About Me

Semi-retired Professor, now also permanent resident of Israel;divides time between both countries-serves on several Boards of Directors for Israel advocacy groups;Chana, resident of Jerusalem, JCPA member

Syria is an Occupier-Are You Listening World?

As of this minute, Syria occupies at least 177 square miles of Lebanese soil. That you are now reading about it for the first time is as much a scandal as the occupation itself.

The news comes by way of a fact-finding survey of the Lebanese-Syrian border just produced by the International Lebanese Committee for UN Security Council Resolution 1559, an American NGO that has consultative status with the UN. In meticulous detail - supplemented by photographs and satellite images - the authors describe precisely where and how Lebanon has been infiltrated.

Though the land grabs are small affairs individually, they collectively add up to an area amounting to about 4% of Lebanese soil - in U.S. terms, the proportional equivalent of Arizona. Of particular note is that the area of Syrian conquest dwarves that of the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms which amount to an area of about 12 square miles.

It would be nice to see the Arab world protest this case of illegal occupation, given its passions about the subject.

Information worth Possessing

"Israel gave the Palestinians an autonomy in 42% of the West Bank and Gaza after the Oslo accords in the early 90's. Over 92% of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza were then under the administration of the Palestinian Authority and its Chairman Yasser Arafat.

"Israel is surrounded by 10 hostile Arab countries who do not even recognize its right to exist ( Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Algeria, Lybia, Morocco, Tunisia, Aden) and Iran"